On with the show; this is it

For the next three weeks my front yard will look as good as it will ever look for the rest of the growing season—though, to be sure, it does look rather nice covered with fallen leaves or snow. The point I’m making is that early spring sun makes it possible for me to have a great bulb show; once the maple trees leaf out, that’s it. Then we’re down to shade perennials (which flower in spring), groundcover, and shade annuals—and we all know what a large selection of those there are!


All this makes me treasure the bulbs of spring—the only time vividly colored flowers that have interesting foliage and that aren’t impatiens can thrive in my front garden. This year, there’s big excitement (for me) in the area of species tulips. I’ve added t. dasystemon, t. greigii Donna Bella (shown top, and above), and finally there seems to be a denser carpet of color than mere clumps here and there. I can improve on it.


Erythronium are spreading throughout the space, and I am hoping to add more native wildflowers like hepatica (or more bloodroot, as shown above). Meanwhile, the existing violas continue to be as lovely as any rare bulb.